Waxing and polishing machine



WAXING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed April 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 3, 1939. G F g c o 2,142,933

WAXING AND mmsnnze MACHINE Filed April 3, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 6601 FBILC L 106E Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The present invention relates to power driven waxing and polishing machines which may also be adapted for the performance of numerous other types of work, which machines are ei'iicient in operation, simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture, an object of the present invention, however, being to provide a device for applying wax to a surface and simultaneously polishing such surface although, by the substitution of appropriate accessories, the machine may be used for analogous purposes Heretoi'ore, it has been the practice to apply wax to a surface either by hand or by a machine and then use a separate machine for the polishing or finishing of that surface. In the present improvement, however, the application of the wax and the polishing of the surface is accomplished simultaneously by the same machine in one operation.

A further object is the provision of a machine which will control the amount of wax or other mixture fed to the brush or dauber for applying the mixture tothe surface to be treated.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a combined waxing and polishing machine of such simple and light construction that it may be used as a. hand machine, making it particularly adaptable for the waxing and polishing of automobiles and the like.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of means within the receptacle containing the waxing or cleaning mixture whereby the mixture is kept in a fluid condition, it being well known that to maintain liquid wax of the proper consistency for application to a surface, it must be constantly agitated.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Fig. l is a side elevation of the machine partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a detail section illustrating the daublng or center applicator brush and feed shaft mechamsm.

Fig. 3a is a horizontal section as on the line in of Fig. 1, showing in detail the valve mechanism for controlling the flow of liquid wax or the like.

Hg. 4 is a perspective view of the fan carrying spider.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional plan view of the spider and illustrating a modification of the polishing brushes applied thereto, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and its mode of operation, I desire to have it understood that the invention is not limited to the 5 details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings since the invention is capable of other embodiments and that the phraseology employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the preferred form thereof, the present improvement comprises a hollow housing 2 adapted to receive a liquid wax or scouring fluid and having a suitable handle 3 and a spout l with a suitable iiller cap 8 secured thereon. The cap 5 is '18 provided with air vents 6 normally closed by means of a valve or cup 1. This valve. or cup 7 is integral with a valve control rod 8 guided in the cap, which rod has an extension l which may be used to open the air valve and also control a liquid 20 valve in the housing I. The filler cap may be removed without danger of its loss when filling the reservoir by reason of its connection, the rod 8 being sufflciently long to permit its removal.

Extending centrally through the housing I is a 25 shaft I! adapted to be rotated by any suitable means such as a motor I! mounted on the bone ing 2.

The shaft 12 within the housing is provided with a series of fins or projections ll of suitable size and shape to cause a constant agitation or stirring action on the liquid in the housing and these ilns H are secured to the motor shaft for rotation therewith by any suitable means.

The shaft H has below the fins and within the 36 housing a circular groove 16 in its periphery and in communication with a reverse spiral groove ll extending to the bottom thereof and this portion of the shaft containing the spiral groove is circularly enclosed with a rotating collar l8 having 40 ports 18" and forming a part of the spider 23 hereinafter described. 0! course, in practice, it might be advantageous in certain cases to provide this collar on the inside of its periphery with the spiral groove instead of the shaft as here- 45 inbefore described. The purpose of the reverse spiral groove I6 is to force the liquid down the shaft.

The base portion ll of the housing 2 is made with a downwardly extending casing II to proso vide a guard for the gears and other moving parts of themachine and this casing may have a suitable bumper is of rubber or other cushioning' material extending around its outer periphery.

Centrally of this base portion I1 is an upwardly extending flange 22 for insertion in the housing to provide a bushing for the rotary shaft and its collar, and carried by this flange is the valve II and port Ii. The valve is hinged as at 2| and is normally closed but is adapted to be opened when the valve 1 is opened through pressure exerted on a suitable button I attached to the plunger rod 2. This construction insures cessation of flow of. liquid down the shaft when the two valves are in closed position and even though the valve II, for any reason, may fail to close the port II, it will be noted that no liquid can pass out of the housing because, when the valve 1 is closed, the air inlets or vents 8 are closed and thus, without an air vent, the housing will be as effectively sealed as though the valve I. were closed.

The liquid control valve 1 I consists of a semicircular arm which is pivoted midway, as at 2|, and is normally closed. When it is desired to introduce liquid to the brush or dauber, the valve control rod is depressed by pressure on the button I and the extension I bears against the arm of the valve I! which, when depressed, causes the valve II to open the portll. The valves II and l are held in closed position by suitable spring means such as II".

This valve II and port II are placed as close as possible to the bottom of the housing'2 to enable the user to clean out the housing from time to time as occasion may require or when substituting a diflerent fluid in place of wax.

0n the under side of the base portion l1 a gear 22 is stationarily secured by any suitable means. A spider 22 formed integral with the rotatable collar ll projects laterally below this stationary gear 22 and this spider carries a series of downwardly extending fins 24 adapted to act as fans. Thus, it will be seen that the construction of the spider serves a dual purpose, to keep the mixture passing below the spider from fouling the gears and to act as a fan to blow the liquid down and at the same time aid in drying the liquid which is very advantageous when the device is used as a waxing machine.

Located circularly around the spider is a series of hubs 25 shown in the present instance as three in number. Each of these hubs is adapted to carry a rotary shaft 28 having a collar 21 on the under side of the spider to hold it against vertical movement while permitting rotary movement.

Secured to each of these rotary shafts above the spider in any suitable manner is a gear 22 adapted to mesh with the stationary central gear 22 and the lower end of each shaft is constructed to have attached thereto a brush polisher or other frictional engaging means 29 which may be secured in any suitable manner for rotation therewith.

The center of motor shaft is likewise adapted to receive a brush, daubler or other frictional engaging means which may be in the form of a felt pad or other such means if desired.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The housing 2 is filled with liquid such as wax which is constantly agitated by the fins ll. The operator then opens the valve 1 by means of pressure on the button 2 permitting air to enter the housing and the extension I opens the valve II and port II and allows the wax to enter the circular groove I! of the shaft I2 from which point it is forced down the shaft due to the action of the reverse spiral II and discharged on the brush or dauber ll and spread on the surface by the circular rotation of this brush.

The particular construction of the spider 22, as before stated, acts as a guard to prevent the wax from coming in contact with the gears and at the same time blows it down on the surface and tends to dry it.

The brushes 2! then act as polishing means and it will be noted that these brushes are rotated circularly aroimd the dauber brush by the rotation of the spider and, due to their engagement through the gears 22 meshing with the stationary gear 22, they are also rotated about their own axis.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a single circular brush II is supported by the rotary shafts 28 and encircling the dauber brush and suitable bushings or washers will permit the shafts 22 to rotate freely while the brush II rotates around the central brush and this circular brush can be in the form of a mop adaptable for dusting purposes if desired, as shown in Fig. 6 and when such type of brush is used, it will be noted that it flares out beyond the periphery of the casing l2, permitting the device tobe used advantageously in corners.

'ItwillthusbeseenthatIhaveprovideda simple machine capable of supplying liquid to a surface while, at the same time, means is provided for scrubbing or polishing the surface in a single operation. It will, of course, be understood that, instead of brushes, felt pads or abrasive materials may be applied if desired and the machine may be used for various purposes.

Thus it will be noted that this machine may be used as a fioor finishing machine or as a waxing and polishing machine for floors, woodwork, automobile bodies and the like and, with only slight modifications, may be used for a multitude of other purposes through the interchange of brushes for suitable tools.

It is to be understood that, by describing in detail herein any particular form, structure or arrangement it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the several claims or the requirements of the prior art.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, I claim:

1. A spider for a machine of the class described andcomprising a disk having a plurality of cut-out sections, and a downwardly extending fiange on one side of each of said cut-out sections for downwardly deflecting air on the rotation thereof, and having a plurality of hubs circumferentially arranged and each located between said cut-out sections for the reception of rotary shafts.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a fluid carrying housing, a rotary shaft therein and projecting therebelow, a dauber at the end of said shaft, said shaft having means for conveying fluid therealong to the dauber, friction engaging means located beyond said dauber, and means secured to said shaft for supporting said friction engaging means and comprising a fan.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a fluid ca ry ni housing, s rotary shaft therein and projecting therebelow, a dauber at the end of said shaft, said shaft having means for conveying fluid therealong to the dauber ahd comprising a reverse spiral, a fan and friction engaging means located beyond said dauber, and means secured to said shaft ior supporting said fan and friction engaging means. I v

4, In a machine of the class described, the combination of a fluid carrying housing, s rotary shaft therein and projecting therebelcw, a dauber at the end of said shaft, said shaft having means for conveying fluid therealong to the dauber, means for simultaneously controlling the fluid flow to said shaft and the ingress of air to said housing, friction engaging means located beyond said dauber, and means secured to said shaft for supporting said friction engaging means and comprising a fan.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a fluid carrying housing, a rotary shaft therein and projecting therebelow, a dauber at the end of said shaft, said shaft having means for conveying fluid therealong to the dauber, agitatingmeans carried by said shaft and centrally located within said housing, friction engaging means located beyond said dauber, means secured to said rotary shaft for supporting said friction engaging means, and means carried by the housing and friction engaging means eflective to rotate the friction engaging means upon rotation of said shaft.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a fluid carrying housing, s. rotary shaft therein and projecting therebelow, a dauber at the end of said shaft, said shaft having means for conveying fluid therealcng to the dauber and comprising a reverse spiral, agitatlng means carried by said shaft and centrally located within said housing, friction engaging means located beyond said dauber and means secured to said rotary shaft for supporting said friction engaging means.

'1. In a machine of the class .described, the combination of a fluid carrying housing, a rotary shaft therein and projecting therebelow, frictional engaging means at the end of said shaft, means for conveying fluid from said housing to said frictional engaging means, friction engaging means located beyond said'flrst fric-- tional engaging means and means secured to mid shaft for supporting said last friction eng means and comprising a fan.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a fluid carrying housing, a rotary shaft therein and projecting therebelow, a dauber at the end of said shaft, means for conveying fluid from the housing to said dauber, means for simultaneously controlling fluid flow and the ingress of air to said housing, friction engaging means located beyond said dauber, and means secured to said shaft for supporting the friction engaging means and comprising a fan.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combinati n of a fluid carrying housing, a rotary shaft therein and projecting therebelcw, a dauber at the end of said shaft, means for conveying fluid from the housing to said dauber. means for simultaneously controlling fluid flow and the ingress of air to said housing, friction engaging means located beyond said dauber, means secured to said shaft for supporting the friction engaging means and comprising a fan, and stirring means carried by said shaft within said housing.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a fluid carrying housing, s. rotary shalt therein and projecting therebelow, a dauber at the end of said shaft, means for conveying fluid from the housing to said dauber, means for controlling fluid flow and the ingress of air to said housing, a fan and friction engaging means located beyond said dauber, means 0 secured to said shaft for supporting the friction engaging means, and means for rotating said friction engaging means at a greater speed than said shaft.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a fluid carrying housing, s rotary shaft therein and projecting below said housing, a dauber at the lower end of said shaft, means for feeding fluid along the shaft to the dauber and comprising a reverse spiral,.a plurality of friction engaging elements located circularly around the dauber, and means for rotating the dauber and therewith the friction engaging elements and also rotating said friction elements independently thereof.

GEORGE F. BICKFORD. 

